4th Annual POWER SHOWCASE Finals
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The 4th Annual POWER SHOWCASE International High School Home Run Derby was held January 8 – 11, 2010 at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, in Tampa, Florida and broadcast live worldwide via the POWER SHOWCASE Network. |
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Seventy four Power Hitters from around the world put their skills on display and the competition was stiff. |
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Travis Flores, a third baseman from Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Arizona, hit nine home runs in the Preliminary Round and eight in the Championship Round to claim the Fourth Annual POWER SHOWCASE World Title. An Arizona State signee, Flores sent his longest distance home run 471 feet and had a total of 13 home runs that traveled over the 400 foot mark. However, the world title did not come easy. |
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Dante Bichette, Jr., a junior infielder from Orangewood Christian in Maitland, Florida, and Third Annual POWER SHOWCASE finalist, led off the Fourth Annual POWER SHOWCASE home run derby with 13 home runs. Bichette fell just one long ball short of Flores in the Championship Round with seven. Bichette’s longest home run traveled 465 feet. |
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The other finalists were shortstop D.J. Peterson of Gilbert High School in Gilbert, Arizona, with six home runs; outfielder Thomas Zengel of North Hunterdon High School in Annandale, New Jersey with five home runs and third baseman Cole Gleason of Red Mountain High School in Mesa Arizona, with four |
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Bryce Harper, who is now a freshman at the College of Southern Nevada, put on a spectacular show at the event in Third Annual POWER SHOWCASE, but his record 502-foot home run was broken this year. Travis Harrison, a junior third baseman from Tustin High School in Tustin, California sent his best shot 504 feet and won the award for Longest Distance Home Run plus set a new POWER SHOWCASE Record with his 504′ Home Run - the longest ever hit at Tropicana Field!!! Travis was presented with the Babe Ruth “Colossus of Clout” award, which is a replica of the 54 ounce bat Babe used in game play from 1916 through 1922. The Colossus of Clout award is presented to the POWER SHOWCASE participant who hits the longest home run. Babe hit 500 foot plus home runs on a daily basis, with a few even reaching over 600 feet, the most memorable of which was hit at Battery Park in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. |
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Kris Bryant, a third baseman and right fielder and senior at Bonanza High School in Reno, Nevada, won the first annual Spirit of Babe Ruth Award which was presented by the Babe’s granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti who was in attendance for the second year and was a featured guest speaker. The Spirit of Babe Ruth Award is in honor of Babe Ruth who was the only athlete to have the ability to be a six tool player: hitting, hitting for power, speed, fielding, throwing, and pitching. This award is given to the POWER SHOWCASE player who shows ability, strength, leadership, passion and respect for the game of baseball. |
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Dante Bichette, Jr. was presented with the IMG Academies Underclassman Award for most overall homeruns. The IMG Academies Undergraduate Award is presented to the POWER SHOWCASE player (non-senior) who hits the most overall home runs. Bichette received a one-week (boarding) certificate to the IMG Baseball Academy in Bradenton, Florida. |
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Three wood bat awards sponsored by BamBooBat Company (the POWER SHOWCASE Official Wood Bat Sponsor) were presented to Chase McDonald, a senior first baseman from Rose High School in Greenville, North Carolina for the longest distance home run with a wood bat – 420 feet; Justin Copeland, a Senior center fielder from Lindale High School, Lindale, Texas for consecutive home runs with a wood bat – 3; and Dante Bichette, Jr., for most home runs with a wood bat – 4. |
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Guest speakers this year included Babe Ruth’s Granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti |
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Guest speakers this year included Long Ball Historian and Author, Bill Jenkinson. |
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Greg Rybarczyk, a former U.S. Navy officer and mechanical engineer, made a guest appearance on Baseball Tonight to discuss the new Yankee Stadium and the increase in home runs at the venue. |
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This year’s POWER SHOWCASE event included a pre-workout at the IMG Baseball Academy located in Bradenton, Florida; Scout Day held at the Yankees’ spring training complex Steinbrenner Field (formerly Legends Field) in Tampa, Florida and a welcome dinner and uniform presentation ceremony held at the Bay Front Hilton in St. Petersburg, Florida. |